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King of California gallery

What parents need to know

Positive messages

While breaking and entering is an unconventional -- not to mention illegal -- form of bonding between fathers and daughters, the theme of the film is to love and trust your parents, no matter how crazy they might seem.

Violence

A disturbing flashback shows Charlie trying to hang himself on a chandelier.

Sex

Charlie flirts with a female police officer, who is later shown leaving his house early in the morning. He kisses her and smacks her on the rear end. Miranda attends a "swingers" party, but no swinging is shown.

Language

A couple of "f--k"s, plus "s--t" and "a--hole."

Consumerism

Costco is prominently featured, as is McDonald's; eBay and Volvo also appear.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

Charlie and Pepper smoke cigarettes; Charlie drinks alcohol alone; Miranda is told she's drinking a "virgin" cocktail at a party, but she later feels dizzy and throws up.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this indie drama features mature themes about mental illness and parent-child relationships. The main character is a manic depressive who has just been released from a mental institution, and his 16-year-old daughter has quit school and works double shifts to support herself and her dad. There are a few curse words (including a couple of "f--k"s), a little smoking and drinking, one brief kiss, and a disturbing image of a suicide attempt.

User reviews

Parents say

Kids say

What's the story?

Charlie (Michael Douglas), a California jazz musician who's just been released from a mental institution and returned home to live with his teenage daughter, Miranda (the always-exceptional young actress Evan Rachel Wood). Ever since she was a little girl, Miranda has known how to take care of herself -- and her manic-depressive dad. Instead of attending high school, she works double shifts at McDonald's to pay the bills. But Charlie has more exciting plans for his new freedom than finding a job. He embarks -- shiny metal detector in hand -- on a mission to find the Spanish gold that he's certain a particular conquistador left buried nearby. It doesn't take long for Charlie to convince Miranda to join him on his exploits, which lead to a suburban Costco that's supposedly right on top of the gold.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Michael Douglas, like many other actors who've reached his level of acclaim, can obviously be very choosy about the roles he accepts. Most A-list actors would probably prefer not to star in a directorial debut, but Douglas' unpredictable character in KING OF CALIFORNIA makes it clear why the Oscar winner would take a chance on newbie director Mike Cahill.

Douglas is charming and convincing as a mentally unstable man who loves his daughter. He and Wood mesh well on screen -- their characters' emotional needs and vulnerabilities are always on full display. Regardless of whether Charlie and Miranda uncover the long-lost treasure, their elaborate scheme to look for it is heartachingly tender to watch.

Families can talk about...

Families can talk about why Miranda supports her dad's quest. Should she have tried to stop him? Is theirs a typical parent-child relationship? What other movies and TV shows can you think of that have featured similar situations?

Families can also discuss product placement. Costco and McDonald's are prominently featured in the film. Did that add to or detract from the story for you? Why?

About our buy links

When you use our links to make a purchase, Common Sense Media earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes. As a nonprofit organization, these funds help us continue providing independent, ad-free services for educators, families, and kids while the price you pay remains the same. Thank you for your support.Read more

I think this movie funny, but not appropriate for kids over 13

Evan Rachel Wood and Michael Douglas do a great job in this film. It would be a great movie if they would have left out the (f) word. It only has it 1 or 2 times, but that is 1 or 2 times too many for me.

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